Akram Hasson

Akram Hasson (Arabic: أكرم حسون, Hebrew: אכרם חסון, born 2 July 1959) is an Israeli Druze politician who served as a member of the Knesset in several spells from 2012 to 2019, first as MK for Kadima between 2012 and 2013, and then as an MK for Kulanu from 2016 to 2019. In 2015, Hasson became Kadima's last leader, marking the first time a Druze had led a Jewish party.[1]

Akram Hasson
Akram Hasson, 2016
Faction represented in the Knesset
2012–2013Kadima
2016–2019Kulanu
Personal details
Born (1959-07-02) 2 July 1959
Daliyat al-Karmel, Israel

Biography

After doing his national service in the Israel Defense Forces between 1978 and 1981, Hasson worked as Director of Youth and Sports at a local council.[2] The following year he briefly worked as a teacher in a high school in Daliyat al-Karmel and the prison system, before starting work at a law firm in Haifa.[2] He left the firm in 1986 and became director of the Daliyat al-Karmel community centre.[2] In 1989 he became Deputy Mayor of the city, a position he held until 1998.[2]

In 1996 he graduated with a BA in education, gaining a master's degree in business and education administration the following year.[2] In 1997 he became a headteacher, before working as the Director of the Israeli branch of the University of Lincoln from 1998 until 2001. In 2002 he was awarded a PhD.[2] Between 2003 and 2008 he served as mayor of Carmel City and a member of the Planning and Building Committee in Haifa.[2] Since 2005 he been a member of the Committee for Changing the System of Government in Israel.

He was placed 35th on the Kadima list for the 2009 Knesset elections.[3] Although the party won only 28 seats, Hasson entered the Knesset in May 2012 as a replacement for Gideon Ezra, who had died of lung cancer.[4] In December 2012 he became the first non-Jewish recipient of the Golden Inkwell Word prize, awarded by the Hebrew Writers Association in Israel.[5] Hasson was awarded the prize after promoting legislation to preserve the Hebrew language by ensuring that all signage is primarily in Hebrew and that any speeches made abroad by government officials must be in Hebrew.[5]

Placed eighth on the Kadima list for the 2013 elections,[6] he lost his seat when the party was reduced to two MKs. After party leader Shaul Mofaz retired from politics on 27 January 2015; Hasson was elected on the same day to replace him, becoming the first Druze leader of a Jewish party.[1] However, two days later he joined the new Kulanu list for the 2015 elections, being placed twelfth on the party list.[7] Although the party won only ten seats in the elections, Hasson returned to the Knesset in January 2016 as a replacement for party leader Moshe Kahlon, who had resigned under the Norwegian Law.

Hasson was placed seventh on the Kulanu list in the April 2019 election, losing his seat as the party was reduced to 4 seats.

Hasson resides in Daliyat al-Karmel and has five children.[2]

References
  1. "Mofaz Resigns from Politics". Israel National News. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  2. "Akram Hasson" (in Hebrew). Knesset website. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. New MK: Akram Hasson Israel National News, 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  4. "Kadima MK Gideon Ezra dies of lung cancer at 74". The Jerusalem Post. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  5. Druse MK wins prize for helping preserve Hebrew The Jerusalem Post, 28 December 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  6. "Kadima". Central Elections Committee. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  7. כולנו בראשות משה כחלון (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
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